The Loneliness Archive
London, UK
Photographs & Exhibitions
2017 — 2020
#LondonisLonely is an immersive art exhibition composed of photographs and audio stories of loneliness in London. Co-founded alongside Tessa Blencowe in the Loneliness Lab, we wanted to help finding a way to reduce the shame and stigma using art in London’ public spaces.
We’re all about creating spaces to talk openly, without judgement and reconnecting through ︎ creativity, vulnerability and collective storytelling.
We've collected more than 100 stories through individual interviews, plus over 500 written stories gathered through the exhibitions.
Listen to Yasmin’s story here.
Listen to Arthur’s story here.
Listen to Scott’s story here.
Listen to Saira’s story here.
Listen to Toby’s story here.
We’re all about creating spaces to talk openly, without judgement and reconnecting through ︎ creativity, vulnerability and collective storytelling.
We've collected more than 100 stories through individual interviews, plus over 500 written stories gathered through the exhibitions.
Listen to Yasmin’s story here.
Listen to Arthur’s story here.
Listen to Scott’s story here.
Listen to Saira’s story here.
Listen to Toby’s story here.
A note from the artists
Stigma prevents us from expressing our feelings honestly for fear of embarrassment or being ostracised from society. We’re afraid to fail, we’re afraid to be different, we’re afraid of being vulnerable. So we hide because we’re afraid no one will understand.
It takes bravery to unlearn this. It is by listening and sharing that opens up to less shame and less stigma. It requires leaving our prejudices behind and listening without judgement to those around us.
It also requires trusting that others also want to listen to our truth as well. To see and be seen, no matter who we are. As we are collecting stories, we are learning that there’s a connection amongst all of this loneliness. We recognise the feeling even if the circumstances are different.
Because, actually, loneliness is something we all can understand. Some better than others, some more than others, but ultimately we all feel lonely sometimes. It’s part of what makes us human.
So listen. And then be unafraid.
https://www.lonelytogether.com.au/london
Stigma prevents us from expressing our feelings honestly for fear of embarrassment or being ostracised from society. We’re afraid to fail, we’re afraid to be different, we’re afraid of being vulnerable. So we hide because we’re afraid no one will understand.
It takes bravery to unlearn this. It is by listening and sharing that opens up to less shame and less stigma. It requires leaving our prejudices behind and listening without judgement to those around us.
It also requires trusting that others also want to listen to our truth as well. To see and be seen, no matter who we are. As we are collecting stories, we are learning that there’s a connection amongst all of this loneliness. We recognise the feeling even if the circumstances are different.
Because, actually, loneliness is something we all can understand. Some better than others, some more than others, but ultimately we all feel lonely sometimes. It’s part of what makes us human.
So listen. And then be unafraid.
https://www.lonelytogether.com.au/london
Perlora
Candás, Asturias
Photographs & Publication
2022 — 2024
Perlora, located on the coast of Asturias, was conceived in the 1950s under the regime of Francisco Franco. Designed as a retreat for the workers of the heavy industry from the nearby Ensidesa steel plant, it reflected a Francoist commitment to the social welfare of the working class, in a context of repression. Originally a symbol of public recreation and equality, the town underwent drastic changes after Franco's death in 1975 and Spain’s transition to democracy, culminating in its privatization in the 1990s. This change led Perlora to become a site of real estate speculation and heritage deterioration.
Today, Perlora emerges as a place marked by the passage of time, a space where uninhabited structures speak of a grand past. Although people have reclaimed this place, their access is limited by physical and legal barriers. People inhabit the surroundings of the houses, staying on the porches. Houses that have been stripped of all value now only offer shade and an ideal setting to imagine other lives. Now, the future seems absent, leaving only a perpetual present. A place lost in time.
INFORMATION
Born in Asturias and working between Valencia and London, my photographic work serves as a
mirror to another reality, revealing the extraordinary within the everyday and
challenging viewers to see the narratives hidden beyond the surface.
I studied at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and furthering my studies at Bauhaus University Weimar, I have developed a practice in design and art direction that intersects fine arts and activism. While my art delves into personal and hidden aspects of human experiences, my role as a designer and strategist engages more directly with social justice and environmental issues. These parallel paths allow me to address both intimate and societal scales of human behaviour and interaction.
My strategic and artistic initiatives have focused on addressing loneliness and social isolation, promoting sustainable lifestyles within London communities, and co-founding an art-based political campaign that challenges extremism and exclusionary politics during the UK referendum debate.
Through both my art and design, I strive to illuminate the unseen, provoke emotion, thought, and inspire change, bridging the gap between personal introspection and collective action.
My work has been exhibited in a variety of self-managed venues and on the streets of London, Berlin, Valencia, and Barcelona. I collaborate regularly with alternative spaces and DIY practices in my community, as vital platforms for challenging the mainstream. Additionally, my work has been published by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and featured on BBC Women's Hour, Stylist Magazine, Mauer Mag, DX Mag, the Evening Standard and The Independent, among others. It has been showcased at the London Conference at the Royal Institute Venue, the London Assembly, and NOW Gallery.
I studied at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and furthering my studies at Bauhaus University Weimar, I have developed a practice in design and art direction that intersects fine arts and activism. While my art delves into personal and hidden aspects of human experiences, my role as a designer and strategist engages more directly with social justice and environmental issues. These parallel paths allow me to address both intimate and societal scales of human behaviour and interaction.
My strategic and artistic initiatives have focused on addressing loneliness and social isolation, promoting sustainable lifestyles within London communities, and co-founding an art-based political campaign that challenges extremism and exclusionary politics during the UK referendum debate.
Through both my art and design, I strive to illuminate the unseen, provoke emotion, thought, and inspire change, bridging the gap between personal introspection and collective action.
My work has been exhibited in a variety of self-managed venues and on the streets of London, Berlin, Valencia, and Barcelona. I collaborate regularly with alternative spaces and DIY practices in my community, as vital platforms for challenging the mainstream. Additionally, my work has been published by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and featured on BBC Women's Hour, Stylist Magazine, Mauer Mag, DX Mag, the Evening Standard and The Independent, among others. It has been showcased at the London Conference at the Royal Institute Venue, the London Assembly, and NOW Gallery.
EMAIL INSTAGRAM
Irene Palacio
she/herA visual artist based in London, working somewhere between painting & photography